University of Portsmouth counts down to opening its £57m Ravelin Centre

The University of Portsmouth is gearing up to open its new £57m Ravelin Sports Centre.

The new building will feature a swimming pool, climbing wall, ski simulator and sports hall – as well as a 175-station fitness suite.

The centre has been designed to the highest sustainability credentials for sports facilities in the UK and has received the top rating of ‘outstanding’ from BREEAM UK, the sustainability assessment for buildings.

Equipment supplier, Technogym, has signed a partnership with the university and will fit out the gym with its Excite Live range of connected, energy-efficient cardio equipment, which offers a personalised training experience tailored to the users' goals and needs.

Students and other gym users will be able to access their own personal content at any time during their workout. The equipment has been designed to adapt to suit each user’s needs, allowing them to connect with friends on social media and access streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify.

The partnership also allows the university to begin offering Technogym Stream immediately – serving students who are keen to get started with their new fitness experience immediately, before the opening of the gym.

Technogym Stream enables facilities to run their own classes in both Live and On-Demand formats, allowing users and members to take part in their favourite classes anywhere.

The launch of Technogym Stream will support the university in building an online community which will make staying connected to students when they are not on campus easier to manage and create engagement with students all year round.

"With the help of Technogym, we will deliver a world-class health and fitness solution as part of our outstanding new sports centre," said Paul Tilley, the university's head of sport and recreation.

''The innovative and engaging digital solutions available through Technogym Stream are able to fully integrate into our Gladstone leisure management system.

"This will ensure our students and members can benefit from high-end Technogym content immediately and get them ready for the full experience when Ravelin Sports Centre opens next year.''

The opening of Ravelin Sports Centre is at the heart of the university's vision to be one of the UK's top modern universities for sport and physical activity.